| Born: | January 21, 1887 | Draft: | Undrafted |
| Hometown: | Chicoutimi, Quebec | Position: | G |
| Known For: | Vezina Trophy Namesake | Catches: | Left |
| National Team: | N/A |
Joseph Georges Gonzague Vézina (January 21, 1887 – March 27, 1926) was a goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association (NHA) and nine in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Montreal Canadiens. After being signed by the Canadiens in 1910, Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season games and a further 39 playoff games, before leaving early during a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died on March 27, 1926.
The only goaltender to play for the Canadiens between 1910 and 1925, Vézina helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1916 and 1924, while reaching the Stanley Cup Finals three more times. Nicknamed the “Chicoutimi Cucumber” for his calm composure while in goal, Vézina allowed the fewest goals in the league seven times in his career: four times in the NHA and three times in the NHL. In 1918, Vézina became the first NHL goaltender to both record a shutout and earn an assist on a goal. At the start of the 1926–27 NHL season, the Canadiens donated the Vezina Trophy to the NHL as an award to the goaltender who allowed the fewest goals during the season. Since 1981, the award has been given to the most outstanding goaltender as determined by a vote of NHL general managers. In Vézina’s hometown of Chicoutimi, the sports arena is named the Centre Georges-Vézina in his honour. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Vézina was one of the original nine inductees, and in 2017 the NHL included him on their list of the 100 greatest players in league history.
Georges Vezina Statistics
Deeper Dive
Achievements
- Started 327 Consecutive Games for Canadiens Between 1910-1925
- First Goaltender Credited With an Assists (December 28, 1918)
- Stanley Cup Champion (1916, 1924)
- One of the Original Nine Inductees Into Hockey Hall of Fame (1945)